I am a 20's something mother of five. Cooking is essential in my home. I enjoy my time in the kitchen very much. Living in East Texas has reflected in my style of cooking. I grew up in the kitchen with my mother, a widly known "great" cook in the area where we live. I remember many things that I learned from her and I consider myself to be a true sothern cook. Therefore, almost everything I make has butter and sugar in it. :) I have been cooking since I was 16 and I have perfected my recipes over the years. Being in the kitchen is somewhat theraputic to me. I get great pleasure in watching my family sit down to a good home cooked meal. We rarely eat out. I enjoy letting my older kids in the kitchen with me to share stories and show them the way our family makes different dishes. As long as they remember that the kitchen is "Momma Domain". I don't like people in my kitchen! The dishes that I make are all of a wide varity. I fry alot of things and rarely use a crockpot. I Lasagna, Chicken and Dumplings, Italian Cream Cake, Red Velvet Cake, Stuffed Porkchops, Lasagna Roll ups, Buttermilk Pie, Fried Chicken, Cakes. I hope to lear cake decorating soon!!!! I am the main cook, on my husbands side, when Thanksgiving comes around. I love hosting parties and get togethers when food is involved. This is my time to shine. I also traditionally host big birthday parties for my children with lots of sweet stuff, ourdorves and sometimes big main dishes. When I worked out of the home, I always baked for the office. When it got time for the monthly birthday celebration I was expected to do the baking. I didn't min at all. I felt honnored that they enjoyed my baking that much. Every time I took something to work it was a triumph. Another personal triumph is having my Daddy tell me that something is good. It takes hard work to hear that from him. He is so used to my moms cooking that anything else is ...blah. I aspire to one day be as great of a southen cook as my momma. Lol....my husband will tell you that for the first year we were married I burned bread better than anyone he knows. I could not bake bread. A beautiful cake, yes, but not a can of bisquits. I have since gotten better and can even make rolls from scratch now.